Position Title: Fisheries Technician - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Sitka Tribe of Alaska, 204 Siginaka Way, Sitka, Alaska, 99835
Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by 01/04/2027. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the posting will be closed when filled.

Terms of Service:

• Ideal Start Date: March 1, 2027
• End Date: September 27, 2027
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 hour, 26 weeks

Purpose:
Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards partners with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate the WaterCorps Program to provide opportunities to federally enrolled Tribal Members seeking to gain experience in the water resources field. This WaterCorps position will be hosted by the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, who is seeking a Fisheries Technician.

The Fisheries Technician is an AmeriCorps position based in Sitka Alaska, a small close-knit community on Baranof Island. The Technician will serve within Sitka Tribe’s Resource Protection Department to implement fisheries research and monitor projects that support Tribal access to culturally important resources and Haa ?usteeyí (“our way of life”).

Focusing primarily on sockeye salmon research and enumeration, the Technician will collaborate closely with Sitka Tribe’s Fisheries Biologist and U.S. Forest Service staff to implement and staff Redoubt Lake weir, implement cutting-edge computer vision systems, conduct limnological sampling, assist in the construction and installation of video chutes and solar power systems, harvest and distribute traditional foods, and process samples and data. Redoubt Lake is the first site in Alaska to incorporate computer vision technology to automate salmon identification and enumeration for in-season monitoring and management of salmon. Data collected by this team is critical for management of Southeast Alaska’s largest subsistence sockeye salmon harvest population.

Description of Duties:

• Conduct projects safely in all weather conditions in a remote field environment in brown bear habitat.
• Catalog salmonids by species and collect age, sex, and length data.
• Collect environmental data and conduct limnological sampling.
• Build, maintain, and break down picket weir, field camp, and project equipment, such as skiffs, outboard motors, and solar panel arrays.
• Coordinate and collaborate with multidisciplinary interagency teams.
• Participate in small teams at remote field camps for up to 10 conseutive days.
• Safely operate skiffs up to 16’ in length in nearshore waters.
• Record, check, and report data to Fisheries Biologist and US Forest Service daily.
• Travel by boat and float plane.
• Assist with Sitka Tribe of Alaska fisheries projects.
• Assist in Traditional Foods Program harvest and distribution.
• Assist with routine lab work, such as processing shellfish samples.

Qualifications:

• Must be a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; Alaska Native; or meet one of the following descriptions:
• Persons who possess at least one-half degree Indian blood derived from Tribes Indigenous to the United States.
• Descendants of Members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Bands or Communities who were residing on any Indian Reservation on June 1, 1934 – shown by providing information asked on a BIA Form 4432.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete National Service Criminal History Checks for Conservation Legacy and the host site.
• Ability to complete projects outside in all weather conditions.
• Ability to regularly lift 50lbs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working outdoors and around water.
• Comfortable conducting projects in brown bear habitat.
• Ability to conduct service projects as part of a team
• Strong interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills
• Strong attention to detail and good record-keeping
• Ability to follow established data collection protocols
• Ability to live and work in a remote location
• Basic construction or mechanical skills is a plus

Additional Position and Community Information:

Sitka Alaska is a rural community of approximately 8,500 people in Southeast Alaska, located on Baranoff Island. The Technician will be housed in the USFS bunkhouse located near downtown Sitka with up to 4 other technicians. The bunkhouse is within walking distance of the office, two grocery stores, restaurants, a gym, and clinic. Sitka Tribe can provide a bicycle for the technician to help with getting around town and commuting. Occasionally time will be spent in the field. While in the field the Technician will live in a small off grid cabin with up to 4 other staff. The cabin is primitive, heated via a wood stove, and has limited power from a solar system.

Our Commitment:
Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary according to project needs. Lunch breaks and days off will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hour accumulation.
• Member must complete all required service hours to obtain the AmeriCorps Education Award.
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes program expectations and AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• First Aid, CPR, AED.
• Bear behavior and defense training.
• Fish identification.
• Computer vision annotation.
• Small boat safety, navigation, and operation.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697.50 (pre-tax)
• Living Allowance of $600.00 per week (pre-tax)
• Additional Benefit of $120.00 per week (pre-tax)
• Free Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
• Childcare Coverage (opt in)
• Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)

Evaluation and Reporting:
As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.
Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

How to Apply:

Use the link >>> https://secure8.entertimeonline.com/ta/conservationlegacy.careers?ShowJob=738774211&lang=en-US

In addition to your resume, you must upload a copy of your Tribal ID proving you are enrolled in a federally recognized Tribe, Band, or village. Please also submit a one-page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.

Supervisor/Mentor Name and Contact Information:

• Service Site Contact information: Alex Tugaw; alex.tugaw@sitkatribe-nsn.gov
• Program Contact information: Cassie Sebas; csebas@conservationlegacy.org

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.